This construction material has many advantages: it is strong, durable, flexible and reduces construction time. More CLT wood buildings are appearing in Poland. With environmental benefits.
There are already examples in the world of buildings made of CLT (CrossLaminated Timber), orcross-laminated timber, being erected with increasing momentum. The European record holder is the 85.4-meter-high Mjøstårnet building (designed by Voll Arkitekter) in the Norwegian town of Brumunddal. The world leader is the slightly taller (86.6 meters) Ascent apartment building in Milwaukee, USA (proj. Korb + Associates Architects). But this too is about to change, as construction is already underway in Perth, Australia, on the C6 skyscraper (proj. Elenberg Fraser), which will be more than 190 meters high, making it the tallest wooden building in the world. In the Netherlands, on the other hand, in the city of Delft, a ten-story residential building with CLT is under construction. It will contain more than a hundred apartments. The materials used in the building's construction come from europallets and other wooden waste.
Wooden office building and library
In Poland, CLT wood technology is still in its infancy - its widespread use is mainly in single-family houses. However, it can be expected that there will be more and more investments of this type - the technology is beginning to be tamed by more and more investors and designers.
One of the most anticipated projects is Timber Park (designed by Ambient studio) - the first four-story office building in wood technology, which has received a building permit in Warsaw. Although other office building projects have appeared before, they did not exceed 12 meters, so they were low-rise buildings. The building will be about 16 meters high and will be constructed using glulam, CLT panels and prefabricated timber frame facade elements. The choice of wood is intended to minimize the building's negative impact on the environment. To help reduce energy consumption, glazing on the facade has been reduced, and photovoltaic panels will appear. However, there were more arguments in favor of choosing wood.
Timber Park (design: Ambient studio) - the first four-story office building with wood technology to receive a building permit in Warsaw
vision: Ambient
When choosing materials, we pay attention to their character and aesthetics, but also to their origin, carbon footprint, what will happen to them at the end of the building's life: whether they will be waste or can be reused. Wood is a beautiful material that creates a healthy interior microclimate, while also being renewable, with a low carbon footprint and potential for reuse. Modern wood technologies also have many advantages: they are prefabricated, reducing construction time, few people are needed for installation, wood is lightweight, so it's great for superstructures, wood partitions have lower U [heat transfer coefficient - ed.], with less thickness than traditional ones
- emphasizes Magdalena Pios, owner of the Ambient studio.
This will not be the first realization by the Ambient studio using wooden technology. In September 2024, a wooden library designed by the studio opened in the Choszczówka estate in Warsaw. It was built from prefabricated elements in wooden construction. Wood forms the facade and appears in the interiors, giving the building a natural and friendly character. And here ecological arguments were behind the choice of material: the use of wood contributes to minimizing the carbon footprint.
Choszczówka library (design: Ambient) - the small building in Choszczówka is one of nearly 200 municipal libraries in the capital.
© Ambient
We associate a library with a huge building blended into other buildings, with creaky floors, huge bookcases with books stuffed into them, heavy chairs and massive tables. Our library breaks these stereotypes. We have a building with a wooden facade, huge floor-to-ceiling windows and a friendly atmosphere inside. It's a place that is open and accessible to everyone
- said during the opening Anna Majchrzak, mayor of the Białołęka district
Library in Choszczówka (design: Ambient) - the building was built using modular technology from prefabricated timber frame
© Ambient
deep black and wood in Marszewo
The first public building in Poland using CLT technology was built in 2023 on the grounds of the Forest Botanical Garden "Marszewo" in Gdynia. The project was selected in a competition organized in 2016 by the Forestry Commission of Gdansk, based in Gdynia.
Our priority when designing this building was to promote cross-laminated timber technology in Poland. Ecology is as important a principal for us as beauty, durability and usability. We opted for wood, because it is basically the only material so friendly to humans and the environment, and has a low carbon footprint. In addition, by using CLT technology, we eliminate all the concerns and downsides associated with the use of wood, and gain great performance, durability, as well as acoustic and thermal performance
- Marcin Gierbienis of the Gierbienis + Poklewski studio said in an interview with A&B.
Forest Botanical Garden "Marszewo" (design: Gierbienis + Poklewski) - is the first public building in Poland with CLT technology
Photo: © Fotomohito
The Forest Botanical Garden "Marszewo" covers an area of almost 50 hectares. The facility that was built here took on a minimalist form and consists of two separate, two-story buildings and a glazed connector. The masses refer in their form to the archetype of a barn. What catches the eye, however, is the building's color scheme. Marcin Gierbienis stresses that the designers wanted their interference not to be visible in the existing landscape. The facade was finished with tan wood planks, so far in Poland found mainly in interior elements and furniture. In Marszewo, the architects were guided by a practical idea: choosing such a facade finish will help protect the facade from the weather.
CLT will yet play a key role in Polish architecture
Wooden technology was decided to be used as early as 2021 by the Kuryłowicz & Associates studio in a competition design for the building of the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Rehabilitation at Warsaw University. The work was awarded second prize (the first place went to the project by Piotr Bujnowski - Architekt office), the jury appreciated the interesting spatial composition, the sensitive shaping of the composition of the frontage of Dobra Street and the search for an architectural form matching in scale with the surroundings. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the architects opted for construction in reinforced concrete technology only for the columns and main beams forming the building's grating, the remaining structure was planned in CLT technology supported by wooden beams, and the construction of the entire top floor - in wooden technology.
Building of the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences and Rehabilitation at Warsaw University - competition design by Kurylowicz & Associates, 2021.
vision: © Kurylowicz & Associates
CLT offers the opportunity to create architecture that is both modern and subtly references traditional materials, such as wood. As a result, the building not only fits harmoniously into the neighborhood, but also emphasizes its intimate, green character. The prefabrication of CLT elements also made it possible to adapt the project to the demanding spatial conditions and the existing stand of trees, and reduced the time and impact of construction on the surroundings. The use of this material responds to the need to create a space that is flexible, user-friendly and sustainable in every aspect - from construction to operation
- says Tomasz Pniewski, architect and studio analyst at Kurylowicz & Associates.
The architect stresses that CLT is a technology that is becoming more and more attractive over time, in the face of increasing environmental and technological demands .
It combines beauty, functionality and responsibility to the environment. Its lightness and strength are a reminder of the possibilities offered by nature, while the precision required for design and prefabrication harkens back to the best traditions of architectural craftsmanship. CLT, which is much lighter than concrete, allows reducing foundation loads and speeding up construction work, while reducingCO2 emissions
- enumerates Pniewski.
In Poland, however, outdated fire regulations are a barrier, limiting the possibility of erecting taller and more advanced structures.
Provincial Fire Service Headquarters in Toruń - competition design by Kurylowicz & Associates, 2022
vision: © Kurylowicz & Associates
Projects such as the tallest building made of CLT - Ascent in Milwaukee with an impressive height of 86.6 meters - show how great the potential is in this technology. We believe that with changing regulations and growing environmental awareness, CLT will still play a key role in Polish architecture.
- convinces Pniewski.
Kurylowicz & Associates architects have already completed several other projects using CLT technology or hybrid solutions with it. Among them is the Provincial Fire Service Headquarters in Toruń, inspired by the historic character of the city, where many of the buildings were constructed from wood. Another example is the Computer Science Department of the West Pomeranian University of Technology, designed with a hybrid structure combining wood and other materials. In this case, the interior is particularly impressive, where wood creates a warm, welcoming atmosphere. The studio is also realizing the Arctowski Antarctic Station, where structural and housing elements are made of wood.
Department of Computer Science at the West Pomeranian University of Technology - competition design by Kurylowicz & Associates, 2023
vision: © Kurylowicz & Associates
failure of government initiative
What about residential development? A real breakthrough in wooden construction in Poland was to be brought by the state-owned company Polskie Domy Drewniane, established in 2019. Although the goals were laudable: to increase the availability of housing by building accessible units in energy-efficient wooden buildings, the program turned out to be a flop. This was confirmed in 2023 by a report by the Supreme Audit Office, according to which the company completed only 31 residential and two commercial units instead of the thousands announced. And sales prices were comparable to those of brick houses. In addition, an audit commissioned by the company's current management (available at www.gov.pl) showed that the completed developments did not meet the requirement for energy efficiency, and that the houses were not made entirely of wood technology, contrary to the original intent. Will the program be continued? By the time the article was published, Polskie Domy Drewniane had not responded to A&B's inquiries about what its plans are for the coming years.
wooden summer house - the walls are a work of nature
It's charming, small, perfect for a break from the hustle and bustle of the city, and made with CLT technology. In the village of Janowiec in the Bardzkie Mountains, an undiscovered range of the Central Sudetes, a summer house built in CLT technology was created. The architectural design was made by Marlena Kilian, the contractor was Marek Pioida.
Hyttee summer house, design: Marlena Kilian
Photo: Monika Luniak
There has been a lot of talk about climate change for several years. However, we don't talk much about the impact of the construction industry on the environment and the fact that producing cement puts as much as 8 percent of carbon dioxide from global emissions into the atmosphere,
- says Marlena Kilian.
The architect, after years of working for the real estate development industry, has learned how much of an impact the material used to construct buildings has on their
construction.
I have high hopes that CLT will break the monopoly of building with reinforced concrete and cement. The IPCC's 2022 report makes it clear that increasing the energy efficiency of buildings does not have a significant impact on reducingCO2 emissions into the atmosphere, the material used during construction and the process of its production play a more important role. Therefore, I see potential in changing building materials to more sustainable ones, such as CLT. In addition, wood is a very durable product, aesthetically pleasing and good for the microclimate in interiors
- explains Kilian.
The bungalow's shape is reminiscent of traditional Sudetenland buildings. It is a simple block with a gabled symmetrical roof on a square plan. It has about 26 square meters of floor space. On the facade: tan wood, which was also used to cover the roof. However, in 2018, when the creators of Hyttee began work on the project, it proved to be a challenge to get CLT panels, then not yet available on the Vistula.
Hyttee summer house, design: Marlena Kilian | cross section
Photo: Maciej Ławniczak | © Marlena Kilian
They were imported from Austria. This, of course, involved higher transportation costs. The design itself had to be very precise, so that there were no unnecessary technical problems with the assembly of individual elements on the construction site and during installation. Due to the lack of professional companies specializing in CLT, our first two houses were built by ourselves.
- Marek Piojda recalls.
After the success of the first Hyttee cottage in the Bardzkie Mountains, authors Marlena Kilian and Marek Piojda did not slow down and created another project using CLT technology - Hyttee 2.0. The wooden facade is broken by large glazed sliding window on the northeast side, which offers a picturesque view of the countryside. The building is flanked on three sides by a terrace, and a bay window with a window-sill is placed on the northern side. The small block houses a living room with a kitchenette, a bathroom and a mezzanine and sleeping rooms. The walls of Hyttee 2.0 are a work of nature, where the grain of the CLT panel boards creates textures, colors.
The construction market needs to change. Current global trends show that people care about the well-being of the environment. We are increasingly conscious customers and are looking for good quality products. We know that CLT is such a product
- says Marlena Kilian.
Ewa Karendys
more: A&B 1/2025 - TREE IN ARCHITECTURE,
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